Forgotten Peace
by girlwithanimagination03
Summary: Eight years after the dragons retreat to the Hidden World, New Berk is finally adapting to a new lifestyle without dragons. When a new threat appears on the horizon, and may be hiding amongst their village, Hiccup and Astrid are determined to find out what or who is trying to abrupt their peace and sabotage their village, but most importantly...their children.
1. More than an Explosion

**_Hello fellow dragonites, and welcome to my new story :D This is set before the ending of httyd 3, so when Hiccup and Astrid have their children and are leading New Berk. Hopefully the summary helps, dont wanna give too much away...enjoy! :) _**

_"Unexpected events can set you back or set you up. Its all a matter of - perspective." -Mary Anne Radmacher_

_BOOM!_

Hiccup's heart skipped a beat. He turned his neck around so fast he thought it'd snap. His eyes went wide and mouth agape. The wind that whiffed past him carried the scent of smoke and debris and before he put much thought to it, he sprinted. He dropped the load of cargo he held in his embrace, the other men doing the same with him.

His pupils went so wide he thought they'd burst. An orange hue shined in his emerald green eyes, and he abruptly stopped in front of the burning Great Hall. He furrowed his brow and instinct took over. "Berthel! Hoark! Take everyone and gather as many buckets of water as you can!" He shouted, gesturing to run to the stream and the two Berkians nodded firmly and obeyed. "Phlegma get the livestock away from the Great Hall, and any children as far away as possible!" Phlegma voiced a_ 'yes Chief'_ and did as she was told.

Hiccup continued to shout orders, and people began to start attempting to put out the fire. But it seemed so useless, because they made sure to double the size of the Great Hall on New Berk, and now Hiccup was regretting his decision.

"Hiccup!" Fishlegs bounded over to the distressed Chief, and Hiccup turned his clouded eyes towards him. "Fishlegs you're alright! Was there anyone else in the Great Hall when you were teaching?" Hiccup's voice had a nervous tone to it and Fishlegs started to breath a little heavier, his mustache blowing up and down through his deep breaths.

"Yes...Astrid...your kids...I don't know if they made it out I didn't-" Hiccup rushed by Fishlegs so fast it almost knocked him over, a little grunt escaping him. "Keep everyone going!" Hiccup called back as Fishlegs stiffened up and stood a little taller. He let out a little squeak when a supporting beam started to topple over with the climbing fire that was eating it away.

Hiccup ran up the stairs with haste, the worst possible situations coming to mind. Berkians rushed passed him, coughing and stumbling down the steps. Each Berkian that rushed by he checked over to see if it was his family, but he had no luck there. The fire roared and just continued to spread and eat away at the Great Hall. His heart raced faster with every fastened step he took. _What if they were trapped in there? What if he couldn't get to them in time? What if-_

"Daddy!"

A little tiny distressed voice rang through the chaotic shouts of distress. Hiccup froze in his tracks right before the withering doors, and frantically searched all around for the source of the tiny voice. He knew that voice from anywhere.

"Nuffink! Where are you?!" Hiccup shouted over all the shouts, and collapsing beams. His eyes panned across the whole frenzied courtyard, even the houses surrounding it. His eyes lit up when a little blonde head peeked from behind one of the fallen wooden beams, and he darted over to the little frightened boy.

"Daddy! 'M scared!" Nuffink's lip quivered as he was curled up into a little ball. His face was stained with tears, and Hiccup bent down quickly to check him over and Nuffink quickly huddled into his outspread arms, trembling in fear. "It's okay bud...its okay...where's your mom and sister?" Hiccup hugged him close with relief, and looked into his watered little eyes.

Nuffink only sobbed more into Hiccup, and Hiccup knew his son was too traumatized to talk. He quickly scooped the little blonde into his arms, and rushed back to the steps, but stopped once more when a shout was called out to him. "Chief! Your wife is stuck on the South side of the steps! People are trying to free her as we speak." Hiccup's breath hitched and he nodded in gratitude, and rushed down the steps with haste. He cradled Nuffink close, as his body shook with tiny sobs.

The Chief made it to the bottom of the steps and rushed over to the crowd that was surrounding something. He ran to over to the scene, and immediately the blonde's pain struck face in the middle, lit up. "Hiccup! Oh, Finn!" Astrid cried out as Hiccup pushed through the crowd and looked over Astrid's situation. Her leg was wedged under the fallen burnt beam, and was slowly starting to get removed by Eret and Snotlout. "Pull harder!" Snotlout shouted as Eret just grunted in determination. Astrid yelped in pain when they hoisted the beam off. She gasped and scooted away from the beam before Snotlout and Eret set it back down.

"Astrid, are you okay? Where's-" Hiccup's voice strained with anxiousness. Astrid grabbed Hiccup's arm, her eyes clouded with worry and her brows furrowed in desperation. "Hiccup, Zephyr is still in the Great Hall, you need to go NOW!" Astrid demanded, as Hiccup's eyes went wide with fear. No. Not Zephyr. Anyone but his little girl. Astrid's shouts called him back to reality. "Here give me Finn," She quickly took the tiny shaking boy from his grasp and cradled his head against her chest. "What about you-" Hiccup was cut off as Astrid winced in pain when he gently rested his hand on her injured leg.

"Hiccup! Don't worry about me! GO! We'll be fine!" Astrid shouted, fear obviously ringing through her voice. Eret nodded towards Hiccup, gesturing he would watch over them. "I'll find her. I promise." Hiccup got up so fast he almost fell over, but then sprinted with all of his might up the stairs.

Astrid bit her lip in worry, trying to hold back tears, as she hugged Nuffink closer, scared for her daughter's life. Nuffink silently sobbed against his mother, "Shhh it's okay...daddy will find your sister. She'll be safe." She mostly said that to reassure herself. _Please hurry Hiccup._

Hiccup threw his cloak off of himself, and with a slight pause in front of the collapsing doors, he rushed inside.

A cloud of black smoke rushed inside of his lungs and he desperately coughed into his arm. He peered across the burning black hall, as beams started to fall, and the flames danced horrifically in the air. All the wooden tables turned black, and the chairs were getting eaten away. The tarps on the walls started to collapse and shrivel from the heat. Hiccup's brow dripped with sweat from the immense heat, and his coughing continued to increase. Instinct snapped back into place.

"Zephyr!" He shouted as loud as his aching lungs would let him, and he started to panic when he didn't get a response. He made his way deeper into the hall, constantly ducking and rolling out of the way of burning objects. Where could she be? Fearing the worst, he continued to call for her. "Zephyr! Zephyr, where are you?!" For a moment, Hiccup thought he heard a faint high pitched shout and his whole aching body lit up. It was so faint he almost missed it, but the hope of his daughter possibly still being alive kept him going.

"Zephyr, come to the sound of my voice!" Hiccup didn't have a choice but to come to a halt in his tracks, when two large beams piled up on top of each other and blocked his way to the other side of the hall which was so thick with smoke and fire, it made him fear the worst.

"D-daddy?" A little raspy voice managed to say loud enough, and Hiccup's chest started to rapidly palpitate. "Zephyr! Yes, it's okay it's me! Come on!" He shouted through a little peep hole between the two burning beams, as he could finally make out the image of a little girl dragging herself closer, and hoarsely coughing.

"I...can't..." Her knees started to give out, and her eyes were so hazy and drooped. She was stained with black ash, all over her face and clothes, and she couldn't seem to stop coughing. Hiccup's heart felt like it was being ripped out as he watched his little girl struggle to get to him.

"Yes. You can. Zephyr, I need you to use all of your strength and come to me." Hiccup reached his hand out to her, desperately trying to reach her. She weakly reached out to him with her limp arm, but stumbled over her own foot and fell to the ground with a moan of pain and exhaustion. "It's too hard daddy..." She whined under her breath and Hiccup searched everywhere for a way around the beams. But it was no use. He couldn't get to her. He watched her panting form helplessly, but then instantly his father came to mind. There was no way he'd let him die, so he wouldn't let her die. Without even thinking, Hiccup kicked down one of the beams and it sent sparks flying in the air. He hurdled over the one that was on the floor, and he scooped up his unconscious daughter into his arms.

She let out a little moan, and lay limply in his strong hold. "It's okay...just hang in there a _little_ longer, Zeph. Daddy's got you." He cradled her close to his chest, trying to protect her from the radiating heat, and orange sparks of debris that flew towards them. Hiccup rushed as fast as he could as he could see the collapsed doors, and the clouded sky. He jumped over all of the excess wood, and beams and tables, and finally scrambled out of the hall right before the whole thing collapsed.

All of New Berk watched in horror as the Great Hall collapsed with flames. Children huddled close to their parents and even the twins who always loved a good explosion, watched in terror. Gasps came from everyone, and Astrid let out a stifled cry as she watched the Great Hall fall, praying her husband and daughter made it out.

Hiccup shielded Zephyr from the blow, as everything seemed to fly up into the air and was strewn everywhere. He cradled her close, and panted for the clean air, wishing all the smoke would vanish. He let out some shaky breaths against Zephyr's ash filled hair, which was loosely falling out of her usual pigtails.

All of New Berk went silent. The Great Hall's fall was treated like someone just passed in the village. Hiccup just watched all of his hard work completely and utterly get destroyed in a matter of minutes. And it almost took his daughter with it.

At the thought of his daughter, he positioned her in his arms to where he could see her face, and brushed her sweaty bangs out of her face. "Zephyr? Come on," He shook her a little to try and get her to gain consciousness, but she wouldn't budge. He wiped the ash of her face and continued to try and get her to wake up. "Come on...I know you're in there..." He eagerly begged her to get up, as tears started to sting at the corners of his eyes. "_Please_..." He buried his face into her hair and quietly sobbed against his lifeless little girl. _If only he had got there sooner. If only he could've been with his family in the Great Hall. If only-_

"D-daddy?" Zephyr stirred a bit, and choked as she curled up in pain with her aching lungs. "W-why...you crying?"

Hiccup gasped and sat up and stared down at his struggling daughter and laughed in relief, pulling her in close for a tight hug. "Don't scare me like that again, Zeph. I thought I lost you." Hiccup wiped at his eyes, and stroked her hair gently as her brows etched in concern. "I'm sorry daddy..." She apologized softly. Hiccup pursed his lips worriedly when he noticed how traumatized she looked. Her eyes looked frenzied and they wouldn't stop twitching, and she felt tense in his arms.

"Hey, it's okay. You're safe now. I've got you." He held her closely, and she softly began to cry against his shoulder. He rocked her back and forth soothingly, reassuring her that she would be okay. "Hiccup!" Astrid shouted in relief, limping up the stairs towards him with Nuffink on her hip. Hiccup chuckled at how stubborn she was. Even when her leg was sprained, she continued to walk and carry her son.

She rushed over to him (attempted to) and collapsed by his side and wrapped her arm around his neck in relief. "Thank Thor you're okay. Is Zephyr...?"

Hiccup gestured towards the little sobbing girl in his arms and Astrid sighed shakily at the sight of her daughter being alive. "Zephy!" Nuffink shouted as he reached out towards his sister and father, and Hiccup put a finger over his mouth as to quiet his son. "Come here Finn..." Hiccup reached out to his son with his free hand and pulled him closer. "Do you wanna tell your sister she's gonna be okay?"

Nuffink nodded shyly and Hiccup looked positioned Zephyr in his arms so that she could see her brother. She sniffled, and Astrid let out a sad breath at the sight of Zephyr's distraught self. "It's otay Zephy." Nuffink attempted to hug his sister, and she slightly smiled at her little brothers gesture. "Thanks Nuff," She sniffled, and coughed once more. Her eyes went wide when she spotted her mother crouched down beside her.

"Momma!" She reached out for her mother who instantly took her from Hiccup's embrace. "Ohhh, Zephyr...I was so worried." Astrid held her tight, and Zephyr buried her head into her mom's shoulder. Hiccup smiled at the sweet reunion, as Nuffink joined the little hug. He turned his head to face the pile of debris and ash, whatever was left of the Great Hall, and grimaced his face.

"Son! What happened?!" Valka, along with Gobber and the rest of the gang quickly rushed up the steps, everyone shooting him confused and worried glances. Astrid stood up (difficultly with her injury and a six year old) with Zephyr limply resting against her mother's shoulder, and Nuffink clung to her skirt. She shared a glance with Hiccup before he turned to the group, face grimaced with anger and fists clenched.

"_Someone_ set the Great Hall on fire. And we're going to find out _who_."


	2. Contrasting Love

**_Hey guys welcome to chapter two! Ohhh this chapter was immensely fun to write and the tension is just starting to build up. I was so surprised at all of the faves and follows, it means so much! This story has big plans, just you wait ;) Onto shout outs :D_**

**_Astrid jay (guest): Ahhh you finally found it mah friend! Hope you stick around ;D_**

**_Guest: Aww thank you! There is tons of family fluff to come I promise! You're so sweet :)_**

**_Calvin (guest): Hmmm interesting thoughts. I think you'll be satisfied with their new 'enemy' hehe. ;)_**

**_Silvolde: Yay, its interesting! Thanks, hope this exceeds your expectations!_**

**_Enjoy!_**

* * *

_"The pain you feel today is the strength you feel tomorrow. For every challenge encountered there is opportunity for growth." __ -Unknown _

* * *

The young teen girl quickly dashed behind a nearby house, and clutched her cloak closer around her upper chest so she could not be seen. The dark brown, knee length cloak, fluttered in the wind despite the strong grip her tanned boney fingers had on the hood. She snickered at the sight of the frenzied, distressed villagers. Her pale blue eyes radiated in the shadow of her hood, the rest of her facial features remaining hidden.

A tiny gasp escaped her as an older woman rushed passed her yelling in alarm, causing the teen to take refuge in the shadows. _I've got to get out of here_. She glanced over her left shoulder towards the remnants of the former Great Hall, then over her right which led down towards the village. After one final glance directed at what she assumed was the Viking chief who was holding a limp child in his arms, she quickly turned on her heel and scurried down the rocky path that led through the bustling village.

It was a little more absent now due to the fire, which caught everyone off guard and gave her a chance to escape. Even she knew that rushing through a village in a cloak, mask, and hood looked pretty suspicious. No one seemed to even notice her because of their frantic state. But this was nothing new to her. There would always be that one person watching. She knew the best thing to do was avoid eye contact, and make her way behind the houses instead of through the plaza.

Occasionally she'd bump into some large carts that were being dragged around by traders, and would get some suspicious glares from the stern eyes that would meet her own. All the more reason to pick up the pace.

Finally, she made it down to their dock pulley system which dropped ships effortlessly into the swirling ocean below. When her eyes caught sight of a ship getting attached to the pulley system she smirked determinedly. She quickly dove behind a crate as some men drew closer, unloading cargo just mere inches away from her.

"Aye, Chief's new orders. Wants to make sure all the provisions and resources are accounted for." He continued to ramble with his heavy accent. The other Viking stretched out his back, his spine popping back into place with a grunt. The young girl scampered across the wooden deck, crouching low, and was completely able to remain out of sight. As some men were loading a ship with crates and resources, she took it as her chance to cause a distraction. Now sitting underneath a large tarp that gave shelter to some stacked crates, she quickly rampaged through her long sleeved grey tunic. Her brow furrowed with a muffled grunt of satisfaction when her calloused hands met with a tiny little metallic ball that sent direct pulses through her slightly shaking body.

Without any hesitation, she quickly threw it out onto the patio deck where all the Vikings conversed and exchanged crates and sacks of resources over their shoulders. It bounced when it came into contact with the hard ground, and with little thuds it finally came to a halt in the midst of a small crowd. Smoke started to rise from the tiny metallic ball, and they all cocked their heads in confusion while looking down.

A tall hefty man bent down with a sack of potatoes over his shoulder, "What in the name of-"

_BOOM!_

Terrified screams ringed through the docks as the cloud of orange and black ash interrupted the peaceful vibe of the Viking docks. Everyone ducked behind large crates, and the many unfortunate Vikings who were standing too close were blasted into the air and then landed motionless. The girl covered her ears from the large ear piercing sensation, but took the opportunity to quickly scamper onto the wooden deck of the boat that hung above the swelling ocean below. She roughly began to untie the ropes that bound the sail against the wooden post that rested in the middle of the small ship, and reeled in the anchor that had been strewn out from the impact of the minor explosion. It wasn't nearly as big as the one that had occurred in the Great Hall, but it definitely was large enough to cause some damage. Chaos was the only word to describe the scene, and she knew it wouldn't be long before the rest of the village would make their way down to the docks and suspect someone was behind the explosions.

Determination swept through her panting body. The girl grasped the small dagger that resided on her belt, and managed to throw it across the ship and slice the rope that held the lever up which kept the ship dangling above the water. Out of the corner of her eye she could've sworn she saw someone rushing over to the boat, and make eye contact with her, and she felt like everything was in slow motion.

As soon as the rope was cut, the ship began to descend as fast as the blink of an eye. Fear seized through her body once she was out of sight. _Those eyes_. They sent shivers up and down her spine, she felt like they stared into her soul. Even if they did see her, it didn't matter. She was able to escape and her disguise was too thick for anyone to see through. She shook off the eery feeling, and tightened her grip around her cloak. Her feet padded across the deck as the boat began to descend below the cliff, and she was completely out of sight in the shadows. The tiniest little nag of guilt tugged at her conscious. "Hopefully that was enough for him."

Boy was she wrong.

* * *

"Everybody calm down!"

Hiccup's reassuring voice completely passed over the buzzing Vikings. They all made sure that their voices and complaints were heard, unfortunately for the chief. His ears rang, and his mind spun through all of the commotion. Having everyone in his own home, and crowding the living room, was especially not helping. His home was supposed to be the place where he could relax and clear his head. But now that the Great Hall was gone, the Haddock's living room was the closest thing that New Berk had to a 'Great Hall'. Just their luck.

"Those explosions weren't caused by accident! Someone had to have done it! And we need to find out who so they don't cause anotha' one. I suspect it be a wee one messin around in the village, or someone who ain't gettin what they want- or maybe...a stowaway!" A stocky man with a scruffy beard finally spoke up loud enough so that everyone could hear. Everyone either hummed in agreement or alarm, the small living space making the hum feel suffocated. Hiccup rose his hand up in defiance.

"I appreciate the concern Hoark, but let's not jump to conclusions so hastily. Even if someone from Berk did it, we have no lead. The Great Hall is gone, so is the evidence. All we can do now is repair all the damage that was done. We will get to the bottom of this, I promise. For now we just need to-"

"For now we need to find out who did this! People almost died, were severely injured! We lost almost a months worth of provisions and you're saying we should-" Hoark barked in retortment, the crowd of Vikings backing away from him because of his tone. Hiccup stood taller on the steps that lead upstairs.

"_He's saying_ we should not worry so much about getting caught up in who caused the fires, but actually should restore everything that was destroyed and help the injured. Time to take care of our people, not the person who caused this. That comes later. Listen to your chief or else you can bring up whatever you have against him, with _me_."

Everyone's eyes widened at the sight of the Chieftess who descended down the stairs with a limp to stand confidently next to her husband. A little tiny blonde boy clung onto her skirt for dear life as he scuttled down the steps with her. Her tone was fierce, and the glare she wore was unforgiving. She was clearly not enjoying having over twenty Vikings in her home at once. Her stare sent shivers down their spines. Hiccup nodded slightly towards her in gratitude. He turned his attention back to the silent mob who all anticipated his next words.

"We will discuss this later. I can assure you a week from now this whole thing will die down, we still have the old plans for construction of the Great Hall. We'll get to work on it right away. In the meantime you all can help by being a reassuring voice to the rest of the village. Hoark?"

Hoark rose his brow daringly at the chief. Astrid crossed her arms and shifted her weight on her non-injured leg. Nuffink didn't budge from his hiding spot from behind his mother. "You're in charge of the sky docks. Make sure every ship that comes through with sailors is thoroughly checked." Hiccup nodded at Hoark's widened eyes, surprised the chief was even so much as speaking to him.

He nodded and quickly turned on his heel and shoved past everyone and exited the house. Hiccup watched carefully as he left. "Everyone else can leave." He waved his hand dismissively towards the crowd, earning many mumbles and grumbles but they filed out willingly. Hiccup sighed in exasperation.

Snotlout approached the entrance to the Haddock house, and lifted his helmet out of his face in astoundment at how many people were filing out through the door. "Wow you don't even let _me_ come into your home. Another party I wasn't invited to?" He snorted sarcastically as he made his way over to Hiccup and Astrid. The sight of the little blonde boy behind Astrid didn't even surprise the boastful Viking. Astrid shook her head in annoyance.

"No party Snotlout. And what's the point of inviting you if you're just gonna crash it anyways?"

He opened his mouth to reply, but then slowly shut it when he realized she was right. Hiccup shook off the witty comment.

"What's up Snotlout?" Hiccup asked, clearly not in the mood to socialize after thirty or so Vikings bombarded into his home with questions. "Geez so edgy today. I just came to give you this," He handed Hiccup a rolled up piece of paper, which he took in bewilderment, "I was going to use it in place of firewood since we ran out when the Great Hall and sky docks were destroyed a couple days ago, but it looked important. And _I_ of all people know how to recognize important things." He added his own arrogant tone to the end of the sentence, pointing at his chest in pride.

Astrid rolled her eyes, and Hiccup kept fiddling with the paper. "I'll read it later." He stuffed the scroll into his belt, "But I need you to do something for me, Snotlout."

"Woah, haven't heard those words in at least a decade." Exaggeration rang through his voice, and Hiccup warningly cocked his brow.

"Just listen! I need you to keep an eye on Hoark. Something didn't feel right today with him."

"It's Hoark. When does anything ever feel right with him?" Snotlout chuckled mockingly. Astrid and Hiccup both gave him the same glare.

"Fine! I'm going, good Thor you two!" He swiftly exited the house, his own rants not following too far behind.

As soon as he was out of sight Hiccup rushed over to the door and shut it without any hesitation. He sighed in relief and turned to face his wife who was leaning against the staircase.

"Thank you. I don't how you _always_ know what to say." Hiccup walked back over to her and she chuckled softly. Nuffink reached up towards his mother, opening his palms and standing on his toes, beckoning for his mother to pick him up. "Let's just say I've had years of practice." She hoisted Nuffink up and rested him on her hip, and Hiccup ruffled his son's hair.

He smiled and then looked down at her limp leg with a worried frown. Astrid noticed, "Don't worry Hiccup. It was just a sprain, it'll heal soon. I've gone through worse." She reassured him with a faint smile. He nodded hesitantly.

"Yeah I guess so. How's Zephyr?" Anxiousness filled his tone, and instinct snapped back into Astrid's conscious, the whole reason she came downstairs in the first place flooding through her mind. Her brow furrowed in sympathy, and Hiccup felt his heart rate increase.

"I...don't know. She finally woke up, but she's still really weak Hiccup. I don't know if she can even stand yet. Annika is still with her." She informed him, her bright blue eyes dimming. Hiccup brushed past her and made his way up the stairs, biting his lip nervously. He could hear Astrid limp up the stairs behind him along with Nuffink's wine for his toy, as it was perfectly in synch with the click of his prosthetic.

When he finally reached the second floor, he rushed down the hall towards Zephyr's room, which was in the opposite wing of their own room. He took a shaky breath and ran his sweaty hand through his auburn locks. If it was one thing he absolutely hated, it was seeing his children suffer. If he could, he would take all the pain in the world just for them.

He opened the door just slightly, and the sight of his limp daughter made his heart drop. She lay motionless in bed, her light auburn banded pigtails frizzed, and her bangs sticking to her glistening forehead. She was just barely awake, her eyes halfway open, the deep blue in her pupils shimmering. Zephyr held her dragon plush close to her chest, as the new healer sat on the edge of the bed and continued to adjust the furs.

"Daddy!" If anything was the same about her, it was her voice. The bright bubbly high pitched sound that made Hiccup's heart content, and he had the warm smile to prove it. The healer looked towards the door and smiled a welcome towards her chief. Hiccup nodded towards her in condolence. Zephyr held up her plush in the air and began to fly it around in the air, her eyes looking more hazed than usual as she couldn't peel her eyes off of the stuffed dragon.

"Look Daddy! Kia has a family!"

Hiccup cocked his brow in confusion, and Annika, the healer, sighed as she turned her attention away from the ogling little girl. "She inhaled a _lot_ of smoke. Her lungs are too small and fragile for that, and the supply of oxygen that we get helps our minds to function. Children are more prone to smoke exposure, as they have a tendency to breath quicker because they are still developing. Her vision is a little...dis contorted. She's just dazed, and still pretty weak. She'll be alright, just needs some rest and needs to stay hydrated so she doesn't get a lung infection." She smiled reassuringly, as Hiccup nodded in gratitude. He was very impressed with the knowledge she had. After Gothi had passed away a couple of years ago, he feared they could never find a healer good enough to replace her. Boy was he wrong. Annika had been a healer to a royal family in Rome, but her family had been banished from the empire due to some ancestral discoveries. The royal family offered for her to stay as their healer, but she refused as family came first even though the royal palace was like her second home. They had heard of New Berk, and even though it took months to sail to, every single ounce of time they spent at sea was worth it. She went under training with Gothi, and then eventually the tall jet black haired, 27 year old woman, became Berk's new healer.

"Thank you Annika." He said softly. She rose from the bed with a smile, and bent down to look at Zephyr one last time. "Now you stay out of trouble miss." She ruffled the little girl's hair, earning a tiny giggle from her. Annika quickly gathered up her things, and swiftly left, leaving Hiccup alone with his daughter. He sat on the edge of his daughter's little creaky bed, and brushed her bangs out of her face.

"Hey my little lady, how're you feeling?" He asked gently, and Zephyr continued to fiddle with her plush. "Okay I guess." She replied, a raspy cough not following too far behind. Hiccup pursed his lips in concern.

"Here, try and stand." He stood up, and offered his hand out to her. She willingly placed her small hand in his calloused palm, and made some struggling sound effects as he helped hoist her up out of bed. The furs slid down off of her, and she still held her dragon plush in her arm. When her feet touched the ground she stumbled a bit, but Hiccup helped support her and made sure she didn't fall. She took some shaky steps, her head spinning. Hiccup didn't let go of her hand, and helped her walk across the room.

"There you go! You'll be walking on your own in no time, Zeph." She laughed softly, as he gave her a little twirl, but then clutched her head from dizziness. Hiccup chuckled slightly, but helped her regain her balance.

A surprised gasp from the doorway caught both of their attention, and Zephyr beamed towards her mother. "Look Momma! Daddy helped me walk!" She chirped, as Astrid wore a proud smile. Nuffink rested on her hip, and he clapped excitedly when he caught sight of his sister. "Zephy can play now!" The little blonde tried to squirm out of his mother's embrace, but she tried to contain him with an amused smile.

"Woah there bud, you're sister isn't quite ready to play yet. Give her some time to rest up okay?" She looked into his big green eyes, and he gave her the famous Hofferson pout. Astrid rolled her eyes playfully. "Don't you start thinking that trick will work on me mister." She tickled his belly, making him squirm with giggles, "Just because it works on your father, doesn't mean it works on me."

"Hey!" Hiccup retorted, earning a laugh from Astrid and Nuffink. Zephyr was still solely concentrated on walking without support, and fortunately she was succeeding. The only problem was, with each step she took, a hitched cough would escape her burning lungs. Which caused Hiccup and Astrid to exchange worried glances.

"Zephyr, why don't you get back in bed. I'll go get you some water." Astrid instructed her daughter, who obeyed her mother without hesitation as she crawled back into bed, clearly exhausted from her attempt at walking. Astrid limped over to Hiccup, who took Nuffink from her embrace. "Astrid, are you sure? I can get the-"

"Hiccup, I'm fine I've got it." She waved dismissively behind her as she exited the room, and Hiccup shrugged as he glanced heavenwards with a faint smile.

"You see that kids? That's where you get your stubbornness from." Hiccup stated, as he sat on the edge of Zephyr's bed, Nuffink now positioned in his lap. Both their eyes went wide with curiosity, as Zephyr tried to position herself upright against the back of the bed frame. "But daddy, momma said we get it from you!"

Hiccup scratched the back of his neck with a playful glance towards his children, which made Nuffink giggle. "Maybe just a little bit." He rustled his son's shaggy blonde hair, and helped Zephyr pull the furs up closer to her chin. Nuffink scrambled out of Hiccup's lap so he could crawl up and cuddle next to his sister, who gladly allowed him to join her. They both laughed when Hiccup stripped the furs off of them, and then quickly covered them back up. He continued the playful gesture, which made the whole house echo with hysterical laughs and giggles, and two frizzy haired kids with smiles that were contagious.

Astrid chuckled softly when she walked in with a cup in her hand, leaning against the door frame in amusement. "I can't leave you three alone for five minutes without getting into some sort of trouble." Her limp was getting easier to hide, as she made her way towards her three troublemakers who all were still recovering from the laughing fit they had. When Zephyr and Nuffink quickly threw the fur off of them, Astrid scoffed in amusement at the sight of their hair which was sticking up on end. They both laughed as Astrid sat on the edge of the bed alongside Hiccup. Zephyr began to have a coughing fit as soon as her laughing died down, and concern replaced the bright smiles everyone had.

"Here, drink this." Astrid quickly held the cup to Zephyr's lips and urged her to drink, though her body was shaking with aching coughs. Zephyr struggled to drink due to her unstable coughing, and Nuffink looked up at his sister worriedly. She gulped eagerly, as the soothing liquid felt good as it rushed down her dry throat. She collapsed against her pillow, and her eyes dimmed in exhaustion. Coughing sure did know how to take the life out of a little girl.

Hiccup furrowed his brow in pity. He hated to see her like this. Nuffink curled up closer next to his sister, and Astrid took the cup from her daughter and placed it on the floor beside the bed. "Okay, time to get some sleep, Zeph." Astrid pressed a gentle kiss against her daughters forehead, who was slowly dozing off. She stood up and beckoned for Nuffink to come with her.

"Come on Finn, let's let your sister sleep."

Nuffink looked up towards his mother then towards his sister, then to his father. Hiccup nodded his famous dad nod as if to say 'listen to your mother'. Nuffink hugged her tightly, and Zephyr smiled tiredly and tried to return the hug. "Get better Zephy." He whispered with his little lisp, and then scrambled off the bed and his mother scooped him up into her arms. She glanced warmly at Hiccup before exiting, Nuffink resting his head against Astrid's shoulder in grief because of the condition his sister was in. Hiccup loved how much his children loved and looked out for one another.

Hiccup tucked Zephyr in, and brushed her sweaty bangs out of her face. "You're gonna be okay. Sweet dreams little one." He placed a kiss to her forehead, and he picked up Kia and placed her right next to the half asleep girl. She yawned and quickly drifted off to sleep, and Hiccup rose from the bed, causing it to creak loudly. He walked quietly to the door and took one final glance at his sleeping daughter before exiting.

_Whoever set the Great Hall on fire is going to pay._

* * *

The girl took a step onto the rickety deck and boarded the floating nightmare. The dangerous ship lurked in the shadows beneath the crumbling cliff of New Berk, completely hidden and out of sight. The nervous girl bit her lip, and fidgeted with the ends of her ash stained grey tunic. Only a couple of men loitered across the boat, either half drunk and mumbling to themselves strewn across the deck, or yelling and fighting physically and verbally.

They all seemed to calm down when the fairly tall slender girl boarded the ship, as their eyes followed her with monotone expressions. They knew what her position was and didn't dare do something that could get them into trouble. They all muttered under their breaths, earning a grimaced expression from the swift girl. She shook them off and continued her journey across the never ending deck.

Finally she arrived to the hatch that led below deck, and quickly descended fearing what she'd have to face. She transcended down the stairs, the stairwell lit with torches, and she could hear the groaning ocean slush against the wooden walls as they creaked with every step she took. Grunts and mocking chuckles finally were within ear shot, and she rolled her eyes at the fairly familiar sound.

"Ha! You lose Greir, I get the next kill!" A fit looking boy with rustled raven black hair slammed the table he was seated around, and the game pieces rattled and fell off the table. Across from him sat a boy who looked almost identical to him, only the nose shape and size of the lips being different. "Fine. Just wait till we have another- _well_, look who it is."

He paused and looked towards the younger girl who was approaching, her face as hard as stone. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms and the other boy leaned forward. She didn't even bother making eye contact with them, and looked every bit as fed up with them.

"Hey miss prissy pants, did you make daddy proud?" Greir mocked, puffing out his lips as if he were talking to a baby with a taunting tone. The other twin snorted with a chuckle that made her roll her eyes.

"Shut up Greir. The only thing that'll make dad proud is if you two learn how to make your brains as big as your mouths." She barked. The twins scoffed in shock and shifted in their seats uncomfortably. "Hey you can't talk to us like that! You're lucky dad needs you." The other twin shouted threateningly, Greir standing up tall, as he crossed his arms. He looked down at the annoyed girl with a grimace planted across his face.

"Uh, just did. Dad needs me because all you two do is sit around and play your stupid kill or be-killed junk game you'll probably be buried with! Now let me through Garth or so help me I will take your other hand." She barked, and gestured towards his hook hand and he quickly hid it behind his back, and scoffed at her. "You wanna go, _sis_?" Garth hissed as Greir pounded his fist into his palm.

The girl backed away hesitantly, blowing a loose piece of her jet black hair out of her slightly pale face, and smirked. "Would love too, but I've got more important things worth my time than pummeling you two." She lied through her teeth. She knew she'd never be able to out fight her twin brothers, they were made of steal. Stacking taller than the average Viking, ripped with muscles, and lacking very little brain. Even their jaw lines looked like they could cut someone.

She shoved past her brother, and quickly rushed further down the hall, hearing some final grunts of agitation from her twin brothers. She came to a halt when the large metal door with a dragon skull hanging from it stood in front of her, the one that made her heart race with anxiety whenever it came into view, and gems traced along the edges. She took a deep breath, and knocked. There was a muffled response from inside, and she opened the huge door hesitantly, and walked in with it slamming shut behind her.

A lantern that hung above a desk stacked with papers swayed in perfect synch with the ship. The room creaked and the walls were coated with maps that had smudged arrows and large X's drawn all over. A hefty man sat in a large chair decorated with weapons and dragon bones, and had his feet propped up on the desk, as he sharpened his axe that was twice the size of a normal one. A deep black goatee traced along the end of his jawline, and was just long enough at the end of his chin for a little braid. He was mostly bald, his scalp just a little darker than the rest of his skin from the aftershave. His cheek bones flinched every time he swallowed thickly in concentration. He looked up from the shadows when he was aware of the girl's presence, his face wearing nothing but desolateness, his dark brown eyes lost and hazed when he met the pale blue clouded eyes that entered into the room. She shakily stepped into the lantern light and clasped her hands behind her back.

He eyed her with a scoff and then he turned his attention back to his double edged axe, tracing his thumb along the sharp edge. "Well, don't just stand there and act like I'm supposed to say something, did you do what you were told?" The man's low threatening voice sent shivers up her spine. The white scar across his lip bulged out when he talked, which was quite distracting. His goatee moved up and down when he talked, especially while exaggerating his lip movement, due to the unfortunate location of the nasty scar. The girl nodded with a gulp. "I placed the smoke bomb in their Great Hall I think...everyone survi-"

When the axe whizzed by her head daringly and was wedged into the wall behind her, she gasped fearfully and shut up. She tensed up, not daring to even breath as the man glared at her with a look that could kill anyone with just a twitch of an eye. He breathed heavily, still in the stance as he was when he threw the axe at her, and she stood as still as a corpse.

"You did..._WHAT_?! Are you _insane_?! You just destroyed our chance of retrieving all of their information! Books, paper, maps, GONE! Because of _you_..." He growled lowly, clenching his fists so tight his knuckles turned white. He shoved his chair out of the way with an angry shout, and made his way over to the frozen girl. She just stared in fear, as he towered over her threateningly. "You have failed me. And you know what happens when people fail me, Dagny." He hissed through clenched teeth, his hot breath making her turn her head away in disgust. He rarely called her by her name, and if he ever did, it was because his temper would get the best of him.

She knew all too well what happened. She had the bruises and scars to prove it. So did her brothers, but more so her, and she never quite knew why. She trembled when he drew a little dagger from his oversized belt, and he held it up to her throat. She swallowed deeply and took a shaky step back, but fell to the ground when her foot tripped over a loose board. Dagny landed on her rear with a grunt, and held her hands up in defense when he drew closer to her, ready to hit her with the dagger handle.

"WAIT!" She yelled hoarsely, and he stopped abruptly before he could do any harm to her.

"The chief...h-he has a family! Two kids...a wife...I saw him save his daughter from the fire..." She hoped that would at least save her skin a little bit. He recoiled back, fortunately and sent her a glare before he made his way back to his desk. He collapsed into his chair and massaged his temple in deep thought. Dagny stood shakily, catching herself from falling and anticipated what his response would be.

He looked up at her. "Maybe that fire wasn't a waste after all. Now that we know the chief has a family, we have a target. You got lucky this time. You're going to investigate more girl, so that I can get what I've been after for decades." He mainly mumbled to himself as he flipped through his papers, and began to make plans for something Dagny didn't want to be apart of. But what choice did she have at this point. Whenever he called her _'girl_' it made her heart sink, and made her feel worthless and much less of an actual person.

She slumped her shoulders with an exasperated sigh. "How much longer do you expect me to serve you like this?! Ever since I was ten you've treated me like a slave, and made me do all off your dirty work. Why don't you ask the two twidiots who'd do anything for your approval." She muttered, clearly fed up with everything, and he shook his head with a grunt of annoyance.

"Your brothers are good for one thing and one thing only. Their strength. They would be useless to me without it. Now, take this and go. You will check in with me weekly with information about this..._New Berk _and the chief. Then we will strike when the time is right. And then finally, we will do what our tribe has been trying to accomplish since decades ago." He stood up, rolling his broad shoulders back. He handed her a rolled up scroll and beckoned for her to leave.

She clutched the paper in her grasp. "What's in the scroll? Instructions on how to make me look like a little princess that they won't hurt? Or maybe an orphan girl who's lost and needs to be cared and provided for? Oh that one worked _so_ well. Or what about-"

"Shut up and go. Those were _nothing_ compared to this. Disappoint me, and I'll finally give your brothers permission to do what they've wanted to do to you since you know what." He cut off her snarky babbling voice, and she snickered at the older man.

She turned on her heel quickly and dramatically kicked the door open in frustration. She exited quickly when the man growled lowly at her behavior. "I'd think carefully before you act miss. Do _not_ fail me."

The door slammed behind her, and she scrunched up her face in frustration. She looked back and glared at the door as if it were her arch nemesis.

"Whatever you say, _father_."


End file.
